China’s lunar ambitions grab attention, but a quieter milestone that the country achieved earlier this year could have longer-term implications for how nations operate in orbit. In mid-2025, China pulled off what American officials had talked about for almost two decades but never operationalized: a satellite-to-satellite refueling in geostationary orbit.

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Sandra Erwin writes about military space programs, policy, technology and the industry that supports this sector. She has covered the military, the Pentagon, Congress and the defense industry for nearly two decades as editor of NDIA’s National Defense...